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Tribe gives Jeter pair of unique retirement gifts

7/10/14: Derek Jeter's former teammates Nick Swisher and Jason Giambi present him with a moasaic and a guitar at Progressive Field

By Alec Shirkey
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MLB.com |

CLEVELAND -- Nearly two decades after spending his first Opening Day facing off against the Tribe at Progressive Field, Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter received a pair of retirement gifts from the Indians before Thursday's series finale.

Both were distinctly Cleveland.

The first was a Lego portrait of the Captain crafted by Wayne Peltz, the assistant manager for the Indians' visiting clubhouse. The second was a Gibson Les Paul electric guitar -- no doubt given in homage to the city's storied rock n' roll legacy and the presence of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

"I like playing here. I like this stadium," Jeter said earlier this week. "We've always liked coming here and playing. We've had some great battles with some really, really good Cleveland teams. They beat us in '97, we came back and beat them in '98. I enjoy coming here. It's a nice stadium, and the fans have always been great."

As Jeter accepted the good-faith offerings, he was greeted by former teammate Jason Giambi, with whom he spent seven seasons in New York. Both Giambi and former Yankee Nick Swisher got the chance to speak with their former clubhouse comrade this week.

"They're both great teammates," Jeter said. "Jason is probably one of the nicest people you'll ever meet. He's just a good guy. Swisher is a fun personality who enjoys coming here. He's got a lot of opinions, which I'm sure you know. They were both fun to play with. I enjoyed my time with them."

Alec Shirkey is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.